Watch: FM Nirmala Sitharaman On Budget Debate In Lok Sabha, Addressing Controversy Over State Allocations

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is addressing the Lok Sabha in response to the ongoing discussion on the national budget. In her remarks, Sitharaman expressed gratitude to the members of the House for their active participation and interest in the presented Budget. She also extended her thanks to the people of India for granting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government a historic third consecutive term in office.

Sitharaman highlighted that this mandate reaffirms the public’s trust in the government and underscores the commitment of Prime Minister Modi to lead the nation with stability and implement people-centric policies. She emphasized the government’s dedication to working collectively towards the vision of a “Viksit Bharat” (Developed India) by the year 2047.

The Union Budget, presented by Sitharaman on July 23, included special financial packages for BJP’s ally states of Bihar and Andhra Pradesh, alongside several tax-related announcements. The focus on Bihar and Andhra Pradesh, governed by key NDA partners JD(U) and TDP respectively, has sparked controversy, with opposition states such as West Bengal, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu accusing the BJP-led NDA government of “ignoring” their needs and describing the budget as an act of “appeasement.”

In response to these allegations, Sitharaman addressed the concerns in the Rajya Sabha last week, dismissing the claims as “outrageous.” She clarified that not every state can be mentioned in the Budget speech and emphasized that government programs are designed to benefit all states, regardless of specific mentions.

“In every Budget, you don’t get an opportunity to name every state of this country. Maharashtra’s name was not taken in the Budget yesterday. Does this mean that Maharashtra feels ignored? If a particular state is named in the speech, does it mean that programs of GOI don’t go to these states?” Sitharaman remarked.

Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi criticized the government’s pre-budget ‘Halwa’ ceremony, pointing out the lack of diversity among the officers involved in budget preparation. He noted, “20 officers have prepared the budget of India, in which there is only one minority and one OBC. The budget halwa is being distributed, but 73% of the country’s people are not included in it.”

The Union Budget 2024 has received mixed reactions, with some criticizing the government’s tax policies. Sitharaman has defended these policies, stating that they aim to rationalize and simplify the tax process for all taxpayers, not just the middle class.